Bass Magazine – Issue 4 2019

90 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com

WHILE THERE IS STILL A HOST

of large, heavy bass amps out there
that require significant muscle to
move, most players, like myself, have
embraced the small, lighter Class D
amps that take up very little real es-
tate and pack enough of a punch to
play most small to medium-size ven-
ues. One of the main benefits of their
size is their mobility. I’ve toured Eu-
rope a few times with this size of amp

stashed in my gig bag. I needed a

cabinet to be backlined, but I always

knew what kind of head I was going to

be working with for the gig. Respect-

ed Italian amp and cabinet builder

Markbass has been participating in

this small-amp market for some time

via its “Little Mark” series; the most

recent offering, the Little Mark Vin-

tage 500, brings together the best of

the old and the new.

Before I get to the actual test-

ing, I want to say that I dig the way

this head looks and feels. The vin-

tage-style knobs look cool and roll

smoothly, and I appreciate the big

master-volume knob (too many mas-

ter knobs look like every other knob

on an amp). The clear window that

shows off the tube is the centerpiece,

though. I had to see how it looked

under stage lighting, so I turned off

Markbass

LITTLE MARK

VINTAGE

500-WATT HEAD

By Rod C. Taylor

Gear Shed